Talk to experts about bioterrorism and scientific accuracy in Hollywood.
In the wake of 9/11, the U.S. government poured $15 billion
into biodefense, staged a massive investigation to find the mailer of
anthrax letters, and also helped the world confront emerging infectious
diseases like Nipah, bird flu, SARS, and the 2009 H1N1 influenza
pandemic. Are we better prepared than we used to be for a bioterrorism
attack? How scientifically accurate are movies and TV shows that deal
with viral contagion? And what dangers are still out there?
ScienceLive,
a live weekly chat on the hottest topics in science hosted by the award-winning news department of the journal Science, gives you access to the world's top scientists. On Thursday, 8 September, at 2 p.m. EDT, join the live chat with journalist and author Laurie Garrett, who has covered
infectious diseases for more than 30 years, and W. Ian Lipkin, a
neurologist at Columbia University who has helped identify several new
infectious agents. Both Garrett and Lipkin consulted with the makers of
the new Steven Soderbergh film Contagion, opening
nationwide this week, which attempts to accurately portray the scientific
and public health response to an outbreak of a new virus.
You can leave your questions in the comment box before the chat starts. A transcript of the chat will be available afterward if you miss it live.
